Pitt wideouts continue to make solid progress

Antonio Bryant and Larry Fitzgerald are just a few big-name wide receivers to leave their mark… Antonio Bryant and Larry Fitzgerald are just a few big-name wide receivers to leave their mark on Pitt’s campus. They’ve left Panther fans asking, “Who’s next?”

Greg Lee and Joe DelSardo are both making a valiant effort in following in their footsteps using pure talent, according to Pitt wide receivers coach Pete Carmichael.

“It’s not coaching,” he said jokingly.

Carmichael spoke on how Lee has progressed throughout the Panthers’ first five games this season.

Lee is averaging 21.8 yards per catch this season. He’s been the Panthers’ deep threat for the most part, including his season-long 77-yard touchdown in the loss to UConn.

“That was an outstanding catch,” Carmichael said.

On the season, Lee has caught 22 passes for 480 yards. Added to that, he has pulled down four touchdowns this season.

“Some of the things that he has done have been the result of the play, more so than his ability,” Carmichael confessed. He explained how Lee, on two touchdowns became wide open on account of a trick play. This does not take away from the fact he had to catch the ball; it just does not show how he has progressed with the short routes.

“Against Connecticut he did not run that little route properly,” Carmichael said. “And that cost us.”

He went on to complement Lee’s play against Temple. Lee ran and caught a six-yard pass play. It doesn’t seem like much, but Lee executed the play well.

“And those are the kind of things we are looking for,” Carmichael said.

The coaching staff is also looking for freshman wideout Darrell Strong to step up and play a bigger role in the second half of the season. Strong is a 6-foot-5, talented wide receiver out of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., who came to Pitt as a quarterback, moved to tight end, and eventually jumped to wideout.

Carmichael hopes he’ll get to jump and catch a fade pattern on the goal line soon, because with his size, the fade would be hard to defend.

“Because of his physical size, he has that advantage,” Carmichael said. “We tried it against Furman, but he got held up at the line of scrimmage.”

Strong is still learning the intricacies of the position.

“Certain routes require certain preparation,” Carmichael said. He added that adjusting to coverages is a whole different story.

Strong is five games smarter now, and he’ll be used more in the games remaining on Pitt’s schedule. He made an incredible catch in the final seconds of the Nebraska game. He ran down the right sideline and pulled down a remarkable catch between two defenders. It’s possible fans might witness him catch a few touchdowns via the fade sometime this season.

“We have worked on it every week [in practice],” Carmichael said. “It’s in the game plan.”